Paul Haines (1932 – January 21, 2003) was an American poet and jazz lyricist. Born in Vassar, Michigan, Haines eventually settled in Canada after spending time in Europe, Asia, and the United States; he had a long stint as a French teacher at Fenelon Falls Secondary School, in Ontario, Canada. Active in New York City in the 60s, he recorded Albert Ayler's Ghosts. A second recording made by Ayler called Spiritual Unity (1965) included a printed folio with text by Paul Haines called "You and the Night and Music."
Haines's best-known work is Escalator over the Hill, a collaboration with Carla Bley.
Haines and his wife Jo Hayward had three children: Emily, Avery and Tim. Emily Haines is a songwriter and musician with Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton. Avery Haines is a Canadian television journalist and television show host. Tim Haines is owner of Bluestreak Records in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
Third World Two, Self-published (1981)
Secret Carnival Workers, Coach House Books (2007)
New York Eye and Ear Control by Michael Snow
Musical interpretations of his poetry
Escalator over the Hill, jazz opera by Carla Bley with libretto by Haines (WATT, 1971)
"Smalltown Agonist" / "Little Pony Soldier", single release from Escalator (WATT, 1971)
Tropic Appetites by Carla Bley (WATT, 1974)
Paul Haines – Darn It!, project produced by Kip Hanrahan, with Haines on two tracks (American Clavé, 1993)
A Beautiful Western Saddle by Curlew (Tom Cora, Amy Denio a.o.), with Haines on two tracks (Cuneiform, 1993)
"Halts" on Trace by Roof with Phil Minton, Tom Cora, Michael Vatcher and Luc Ex (Red Note, 1999)
Passages by Jesse Stewart and Paul Haines, Guelph Jazz Festival.
Which Side Are You On by 4 Walls with Minton, Vatcher, Ex and Veryan Weston (Red Note, 2004)
"Fame finds Dubin at last," Miller, Mark. The Globe and Mail; Toronto, Ont. 13 Jan 1979: 37. “Another piece, probably to be called Circuitry (the titles for what were essentially spontaneous compositions are being extracted by Snow from an essay by Paul Haines, Larry’s Listening, which will accompany the record), is largely a duet, pairing Dubin with programmed synthesizer patterns.”
The Globe and Mail, Nov 14, 1981, p. A4. Paul Haines' video showing at The Music Gallery, Toronto.
Heroes, Stephen Smith, The Globe and Mail, 1991 29 June 1991: C1. John Oswald selects Paul Haines as a Canadian hero.